31 Days of Horror Orientation Post for Horror Fans New and Old

I am cross posting today's 31 Days of Horror for my regular blog readers because ALL OF YOU need to know how to use the horror blog as a resource to help your scariest readers all year long. 

31 Days of Horror: Day 2-- How to Use This Site As The Go-To RA Resource for Horror

Yesterday was exciting. I got the Why I Love Horror essays going on day 1 with a debut author, and we had a 3 book giveaway. Click here to catch up.

However, before we move forward with this year's new content, I wanted to take a moment, as I do every year, to reacquaint you with this blog as more than just a fun October experience (which it is), but rather, remind you of it's usefulness as a resource all year long.

So let's do a little orientation today.

RA for All Horror in general, and this blog-a-thon specifically, makes everyone feel welcome from the horror newbie (and/or fraidy cat) to the expert and everyone in between. I go out of my way to present things in an accessible way, organizing the content to meet everyone where they are, and allow people to explore at their own pace, always centering the patron experience. I am helping you help your readers, again from whatever level of familiarity of horror they come with as well.

Of course every October, there is a post a day in the main frame area, but throughout the year, I tend to only post 1x a week to host my #HorrorForLibraries giveaway. That giveaway is always going on. Your entry at any time, enters you going forward. And if you win, you can re-enter after 4 weeks. Since April 2020, I have given over 330 people books. Every giveaway post begins with the rules on how to enter. Here is a recent giveaway so you can see what those rules are (and so you can enter if you want; yesterday's post has the current giveaway).

I have written three editions of a textbook for library workers entitled, The Readers' Advisory Guide to Horror from ALA Editions (most current edition is 2021 and you can buy here). I also edited Why I Love Horror: Essays on Horror Literature from Saga Press (you can buy that anywhere books are sold). That book won the Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in Long Nonfiction and Tananarive Due's essay from the book won the Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in Short Nonfiction. 

While Why I Love Horror is my newest book, this website began to support those textbooks for library workers. Everything I do here acts like a free update to those books. Its focus is on helping you, the library worker help horror readers-- just like this blog.

So that is the basic background on what this site exists. Now let's take a quick tour, together. 

Look at the page in front of you. I keep the site very text heavy so that it is clear and easy to navigate. I also use tags to make everything easy for you to find. And finally, I keep the tone here conversational but authoritative. I want anyone who works from any place on their library's organizational chart to feel like they belong here, I want every level of familiarity with horror to find useful information, and I don't want anyone to feel like they are not welcome here.

At the very top of the page is the link for the current year of Summer Scares, a national summer reading program of horror titles-- 3 each for the reading levels of Adult, Teen, and Middle Grade-- presented by Horror Writers Association (HWA), in partnership with Booklist, Book Riot, iREAD, and NoveList®, a division of EBSCO Information Services (EBSCO). The 2026 year is coming to an end, but on October 30th, here on the blog, we will be announcing our 2027 Spokesperson!

Below that link is the main body of the site presenting as blog posts. You can navigate these as they appear in reverse chronological order or use the tags either at the end of each post or in the right gutter. Under the tags you can also navigate the blog by year and then month. So, if you want to easily see all 31 Days of Horror posts ever, you can use the tag for 31 Days of Horror, but you can also go to each year and choose October to access them that way.

The other major section of the blog you need to know about are the Pages which are listed above the tags and just below the HWA logo in the right gutter. These pages are actively maintained by me for the purpose of serving as your go-to horror for libraries resource. Below are the pages, linked in this post just as they are in the gutter, but here for the blog, I also added some information about what you can find when you click through.

PAGES

• Home: This link brings you back to the main page and the current blog post. 

• About This Blog: Info on this blog, how it began, and what to expect. 

• Third Edition Bonus Content: More Subgenre Annotations: When I wrote the third edition of the book, I had to cut half of the annotations. I moved them here on the blog to help you find even more suggestions. But full disclosure, all of this is dated now. The manuscript was turned in at the very beginning of 2021. 

• Horror Resources: This page is a treasure trove of links and resources for anyone who wants to help horror readers. Use it all year long. 

• Best Independent Horror Publishers for Libraries: This is exactly what it says. I update it regularly.  

• Horror Awards: Also exactly what it says. I pulled it out of the resources page so you can access the awards quickly and easily. 

• Archive of Becky's Lists, Articles, and Presentations: This is where all of the content I have created outside this blog lives. I will talk about this page in detail tomorrow's post. 

• Summer Scares Archive [2019-2025]: Once a year ends for Summer Scares, I move the content to this archive. This is the place to go to see all of the titles and resources we have created over the years. 

• Horror Reviews Index: Access my reviews through an automatically updating link.

Thank you for joining me on this tour of the RA for All Horror. Tomorrow, I will focus on my Archive of Lists, Articles, and Presentations as noted above. 

Conversation Starter to Display Monthly Question: What's a Book That Scared You? and 31 Days of Horror Begins Anew

This is part of a monthly series of conversation starters which can be made into evergreen displays that I first proposed here (with 12 examples that could last you full a year). You can expect a new conversation starter on the first week day of a new month. Use the newest one for the next month, or access the long backlist of these ideas anytime by using this link. 

Back in June, I wrote about how to use conversation starters to create evergreen displays (see link above), and in that post I promised to give you one conversation starter a month at the start of each month. I also make it clear in that post that these displays can be small. 3-5 books that you keep rotating. You can even use this link to make it into a scavenger hunt of small displays all over the library.

This month question is to celebrate Spooky Season: What's a book that scared you?

This is the exact question people are expecting you to ask and while their answers cannot help you with this year's Halloween Displays if can absolutely help you for next year not to mention aid your collection development. 

And to help you answer this question and build your displays you need to look no further than....ME.

Head on over to RA for All: Horror anytime of year but especially starting today as my annual 31 Days of horror has begun for its 16th year. 

The blog is a reference all year long with resources, lists, reviews, and more. I also have my featured "Why I Love Horror" essays.   Literally, everything you need to help horror readers all year long is there, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. 

What's a book that scared you?-- This is a question that everyone who is a reader can answer quickly; much more quickly than when you ask people to share a favorite book or the last good book they read. This is a question that has an immediate and visceral response. It is also a question that changes. I you ask someone this question today, you will get a few titles, but then ask them 6 months later and you will have a few more. 

Even those who do not read horror, they will have an answer to this because this is NOT a genre question. Rather, it is an emotions question.

And the answers are evergreen by default because people like being scared all year long. 

Start by asking staff What's a book that scared you?-- at the very least. Do it through an electronic form so that the answers get filed into a spreadsheet. And then do some searching.

The title of this display you make is the question itself:  What's a book that scared you?

Why? Because this is interactive. Your display is a conversation. It will draw patrons toward it, their interest piqued. You are asking them a question and presenting some answers, but they will have their own and they will want to tell you!!! And it is Horror season but your question is not only about Horror. It will invite everyone to participate. 

Now, you can follow my more elaborate suggestion on how to ask every patron to help answer this question and add titles to your spreadsheet of options, OR you can start smaller. Put up a white board or bulletin board near the display and allow people to add titles. You can pull them as needed or just leave them there, answers to your question, a way to SHOW your community that you care about their answers. You should be adding these to the spreadsheet overtime as well.

That spreadsheet is key here because it is a way for the library to KNOW what books matter to their patrons. Circulation statistics just show us what checks out. It doesn't tell us if they were enjoyed, let alone a book so treasured the patron recommends it to everyone they know. Asking this question makes an excellent, interactive, and, quite frankly, easy display, BUT it also gives us valuable collection development data.

First, if the books people are recommending to answer this question and their circ stats are not great, this lets us know that the book should stay in our collection. It alerts us that it is a patron fav and we now know to get it on display where another reader will almost certainly give it a try (with a title of a display like that, it is sure to circ now)

Second, this conversation starter allows us to see what books matter to our readers and we can pass that information on to those who buy the books for our collections so that they can look for similar titles. As someone who bought for the fiction collection, I would have loved to have this information. I knew my key patrons and bought books I knew they would like, but this question would have reach more people. Many who never stop to talk to use will answer. You will get a much wider view of the books your readers love and crave. That data is collection development gold!

You can search out readalikes that you have, and add more. All of that will lead to small displays, ones you can title, "So this book destroyed your productivity.....Now try this." Those can be online and in small spaces. 

You are asking a question, getting responses to fill a display, gathering valuable collection development data, and then creating more displays. All by asking one question: What's a book that scared you?

You have nothing to lose here. You and your patrons win the second you ask the question.

Back next month with anther question, but as always, use the link at the top of this post for many more questions you can use today, tomorrow, or in a few months. Just start asking your patrons questions so you can see what really sticks with them. Your displays will be easier to build, more inviting, and you will have a better sense of what other titles need to be added to your collections.

And head on over to RA for All: Horror for help getting your display started. 

Library Journal Day of Dialog Fall 2026: Virtual, Free, and Features ME

Join us October 22 for our Library Journal Day of Dialog virtual event! Spanning a variety of genres, this free, day-long program will offer an in-depth look at the biggest forthcoming books for fall/winter 2026. You’ll hear directly from top authors as they discuss their new titles, inspiration, process, and more.

And don’t forget the virtual exhibit hall! Visit the booths to download free resources and chat with publishing representatives. 

EVENT HOURS: 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM ET

 

I am going to share the full program below, but please note, there are often 3 concurrent programs. This is all good because all sessions will be available for on-demand viewing within 24 hours, and the entire event will be accessible for three months from the event date. So pick your first go around faves and then join in after, but you have to register to have access.

Speaking of the schedule, I am doing one of those first sessions:

10:05 – 10:55 AM ET | Nightmares on the Page
Creepy novels, full of atmosphere, foreboding dread, and shocking scares.

Gerardo Sámano Córdova, Imps! (Tin House: Zando)
Elle Engel, He Always Comes Back (akaSTORY: Abrams)
Eric LaRocca, Brute (Simon & Schuster/Saga Press: Simon & Schuster)
Gus Moreno, If You Think You're Lonely Now (G.P. Putnam's Sons: Penguin Random House)
Tanya Pell, This B Just Won't Die! (Gallery Books: Simon & Schuster)
Moderator: Becky Spratford, LJ Horror Review Columnist

But there is SO much more.  

Go to the main page and you will find everything you need know: full schedule, registration link, another bios, and the sponsors who will be in the virtual exhibit hall. 

I hope to see some of you there.

FULL PROGRAM is below or at this link.

9:00 – 9:30 AM ET | The Exhibit Hall Opens
 

9:30 – 10:00 AM ET | Opening Keynote
Jojo Moyes discusses Three Sisters (Pamela Dorman Books: Penguin Random House), a novel about a family reunion that is by turns comic, tempestuous, heartfelt, and ultimately redemptive.
Moderator: Jill Cox-Cordova, former LJ Associate Editor

THREE CONCURRENT PANELS
 

10:05 – 10:55 AM ET | Nightmares on the Page
Creepy novels, full of atmosphere, foreboding dread, and shocking scares.

Gerardo Sámano Córdova, Imps! (Tin House: Zando)
Elle Engel, He Always Comes Back (akaSTORY: Abrams)
Eric LaRocca, Brute (Simon & Schuster/Saga Press: Simon & Schuster)
Gus Moreno, If You Think You're Lonely Now (G.P. Putnam's Sons: Penguin Random House)
Tanya Pell, This B Just Won't Die! (Gallery Books: Simon & Schuster)
Moderator: Becky Spratford, LJ Horror Review Columnist

10:05 – 10:55 AM ET | Spellbound for Love
A conversation on crafting fantastical worlds with romance, adventure, and high stakes.

Ruby Dixon, Villain Origin Story (Ace: Penguin Random House)
Tzeyi Koay, A Curse Carved in Ink (Atria Books: Simon & Schuster)
Alexis L. Menard, Vices & Virtues (Forever: Hachette)
Lexi Ryan, Night Tide (Deluxe Limited Edition) (Avon: HarperCollins)
Tasha Suri, The Lady of Thorns (Orbit: Hachette)
Moderator: Nicole Gaudier Alemañy, Assistant Branch Manager, Brooklyn Public Library (NY)

10:05 – 10:55 AM ET | Turning the Page Together
A lively discussion on books worth talking about, perfect for sharing with friends and book clubs.

Karen Joy Fowler, Otter Music (G.P. Putnam's Sons: Penguin Random House)
Elizabeth Wellington Rollins, The Three Graces of Pearl Street (Atria Books: Simon & Schuster)
Nina Michiko Tam, Tastes Like Seeing God (Pamela Dorman Books: Penguin Random House)
Rory Squire, Small Talk (Cardinal: Hachette)
Marisel Vera, The Girls from Humboldt Park (Liveright: Norton)
Moderator: Lynnanne Pearson, Head of Adult Services, DeKalb Public Library (IL)

THREE CONCURRENT PANELS
 

11:00 – 11:30 AM ET | Nobody Told Me This About Parenting
Experts provide practical, compassionate approaches to raising kids today.

Dr. Roseann Capanna-Hodge, The Dysregulated Kid (Page Two: Page Two)
Lisa Damour, The Emotional Lives of Parents (Ballantine Books: Penguin Random House)
Moderator: Ashley Rayner, Librarian at NORC, University of Chicago (IL)

11:00 – 11:30 AM ET | Nonfiction Illustrated
Discover culinary traditions, experience a life-changing journey, and reflect upon a tragic moment in history.

Christopher Benson, Framing Emmett Till (Abrams ComicArts - Megascope: Abrams)
Matthew Maxwell, How to Hold a Cockroach (Penguin Random House)
Linda Yi, Let's Make Sichuan! (Ten Speed Graphic: Penguin Random House)
Moderator: Alexander Zalben, Host and Editor, Comic Book Club

11:00 – 11:30 AM ET | Supernatural Curiosity
Explore the museum of lost things, travel to enchanted fairy lands, and encounter ghostly hauntings.

Sarah Clegg, Perilous Enchantment: The True History of Faeries (Atria Books: Simon & Schuster)
Sam Kean, The Museum of Lost Things (National Geographic: Disney)
Margo MacDonald, A Curious Presence: An Exploration of Ghosts and the People Who Haunt Them (ECW Press: ECW)
Moderator: Sarah-Ruth Tasko, Readers' Advisory Librarian - Darien Library (CT)

THREE CONCURRENT PANELS
 

11:35 AM – 12:25 PM ET | Culinary Adventures
Discover fresh ways to cook, eat, and feel your best with these four Union Square cookbook authors. From Italian favorites and fiber-fueled meals to the science of flavor and everyday wellness, this panel serves up practical recipes, expert insights, and delicious inspiration for every home cook.

Anna Francese Gass, Instant Italian: 100 Modern Classics—Ready in Under an Hour
Dr. Emily Leeming, Fiber Power: 60 Recipes to Transform Your Energy and Boost Your Health in Four Weeks
Helen Rennie, The Science of Dinner: Lessons in Flavor and Texture with 60 Essential Recipes
Elizabeth Stein, Nourish and Thrive: 100 Balanced Recipes for Everyday Wellness
Moderator: Ron Block, Branch Manager, Cuyahoga County Public Library System (OH)

11:35 AM – 12:25 PM ET | Novels of Twists and Turns
These mysteries and thrillers range from cozy to creepy and are full of suspense, misdirection, and plot twists.

Tempest Black, Bitter Fruit (Little, Brown and Company: Hachette)
Meg Blakemore, When Harriet Met Homicide (Atria Books: Simon & Schuster)
Lauren Ling Brown, The Inheritance Thief (Bantam: Penguin Random House)
Alyssa Cole, It Takes a Village (Wildthorn: Macmillan)
Rebecca Connolly, Webs of Ink (Shadow Mountain: Shadow Mountain)
Moderator: Tina Panik, Reference Manager, Avon Free Public Library (CT)

11:35 AM – 12:25 PM ET | Sea Stories
Nonfiction books that capture the drama and danger of life at sea, with accounts of shipwrecks, science, and tragedy.

Caitlin Doughty, Dead in the Water (W. W. Norton & Company: Norton)
Mark Harris, Deep End (W. W. Norton & Company: Norton)
Ben Rawlence, The River in the Sea (St. Martin's Press: Macmillan)
Decker Watson, The Sinking of The Scandies Rose (Gallery Books: Simon & Schuster)
Moderator: Dontaná McPherson-Joseph, Collection Management Librarian, Oak Park Public Library (IL)

12:25 – 12:55 PM ET | Break / Visit the Exhibit Hall

12:55 – 1:25 PM ET | Afternoon Keynote
Join Isabel Ibañez in conversation with St. Martin’s Publishing Group’s Executive Editor Eileen Rothschild as they discuss Witch Dance (St. Martin's Publishing Group / Saturday Books: Macmillan Library Marketing), an atmospheric, historical fantasy where forbidden magic, a deadly mystery, and an enemies-to-lovers romance collide in Renaissance Europe.

TWO CONCURRENT PANELS

1:30 – 2:20 PM ET | Enchantment in the Everyday
These books blend time travel, alternate realities, and magical recipes into daily life.

Sarah Addison Allen, Paper Ghosts (St. Martin's Press: Macmillan)
Tabitha Bouldin, Seven Recipes for Second Chances (Bethany House Publishers: Baker)
Emilia Hart, The Enigmas (St. Martin's Press: Macmillan)
Kelly Murashige, Milkiverse (Soho Press) 
Alex Schulman, June 17th (Harper: HarperCollins)
Moderator: James Gardner, Reference Librarian at Clark County Public Library

1:30 – 2:20 PM ET | Make Your World Better
Self-help authors discuss reconnecting with one’s self, focusing on what's really important, and practicing social bravery.

Autumn Brown, Temper (St. Martin's Essentials / Sounds True: Macmillan)
Chris Cleave, Human Again (Scribner: Simon & Schuster)
Amy Cuddy, Bullied (Harper Wave: HarperCollins)
Jedidiah Jenkins, Go Quiet on the Mountain (Convergent Books: Penguin Random House)
John S. Kruse, ADHD World (New Harbinger Publications: New Harbinger)
Moderator: Emily Bowles, Lecturer in English, Georgia Gwinnett College

TWO CONCURRENT PANELS
 

2:25 – 3:15 PM ET | First-Time Authors
Learn about debut novels that run the gamut from ping-pong to magical party islands.

Renny Gong, Ping Pong Kids (Ecco: HarperCollins)
CJ Green, Record Lows (Cardinal: Hachette)
Jordan Harrison, Miss Archer (William Morrow: HarperCollins)
Ronald Lee Robertson, Goliath (Scribner: Simon & Schuster)
Raelle Tucker, Obscura (Crown: Penguin Random House)
Moderator: Jen Jumba, MLIS, Popular Department Manager, Cleveland Public Library (OH)

2:25 – 3:15 PM ET | The Heart of the Matter
Romance books that celebrate connection, character, and unforgettable love stories.

Liana Cincotti, Don't Be in Love (Forever: Hachette)
Kristina Forest, The Unrequited Love Department (Atria Books: Simon & Schuster)
Roxanne LoMarc, Love and Other Two-Player Games (Haven: Baker)
Martha Waters, Spellstruck (Atria Books: Simon & Schuster)
Julia Whelan, Casanova LLC: Deluxe Limited Edition (Kensington: Kensington)
Moderator: Migdalia Jimenez, Librarian, Chicago Public Library (IL)

3:15 – 3:40 PM ET | Break / Visit the Exhibit Hall

TWO CONCURRENT PANELS
 

3:40 – 4:30 PM ET | The Stories We Carry
Authors share the vulnerability and craft of telling their unique histories in their own words.

Miranda Brown, Dumpling Therapy: My Mother, Chinese Food, and Five Thousand Years of Not-So-Ancient Recipes (St. Martin's Press: Macmillan)
Tamra Davis, Girl with a Camera (Gallery Books: Simon & Schuster)
Ana Hebra Flaster, Property of the Revolution: From a Cuban Barrio to a New Hampshire Mill Town (She Writes Press: Indie Author Project)
Alex Marzano-Lesnevich, Both and Neither: A Memoir and History of Gender (or a Haunting) (Doubleday: Penguin Random House)
Moderator: Natalie Marshall, Executive Director, Flint River Regional Library System (GA)

3:40 – 4:30 PM ET | Worlds Beyond
Books filled with cozy magic shops, dystopian cli-fi futures, and desert kingdoms readers won't want to leave.

Delemhach, The Dues & Don'ts of Magic (Simon & Schuster/Saga Press: Simon & Schuster)
Sara Hashem, Merciful Carnage (Orbit: Hachette)
Ashley Poston, Elodie and the Dark Lord (Ace: Penguin Random House)
Lev AC Rosen, All Her Potential (Erewhon Books: Kensington)
A.D. Sui, Our Infinite and Inevitable Ends (ECW Press: ECW)
Moderator: Jessica Trotter, Collection Development Specialist, Capital Area District Libraries (MI)

TWO CONCURRENT PANELS

4:35 – 5:25 PM ET | Fantastic Fiction
From the mountains of Jamaica to the hills of Ireland, these books have stories that defy the ordinary.

Mateo Askaripour, Pure Ox (Dutton: Penguin Random House)
Wiley Cash, Same River Twice (William Morrow: HarperCollins)
Nicole Dennis-Benn, Black Gold (Random House: Penguin Random House)
Mary Beth Keane, Whale Harbor (Scribner: Simon & Schuster)
Susan Meissner, Somewhere, Something Incredible (Berkley: Penguin Random House)
Moderator: Andrea Gough, Adult Services Librarian, Seattle (WA)

4:35 – 5:25 PM ET | Reading the Past
Writers weave historical elements, including the Space Race and 19th-century immigration, into compelling narratives.

Marianne Fons, The Dressmaker of Winterset (Union Square & Co.: Union Square)
Jennifer Galvão, Maria, Maria (Random House: Penguin Random House)
Pam Jenoff, The Society of Forgotten Wives (Park Row: HarperCollins)
Shirin Yim Leos, Of Wind and Dust (The Dial Press: Penguin Random House)
Erin Litteken, Find Me in the Stars (Harper Muse: HarperCollins Christian/Focus)
Moderator: Felicia Humphries, Asst. Director Library Services, Boston Public Schools (MA)

5:30 – 6:00 PM ET | Closing Keynote
Bestselling crime writer S.A. Cosby brings his signature grit and suspense to the Marvel Universe with Truth to Power: A Luke Cage Marvel Crime Novel (Hyperion Avenue: Disney), a thrilling tale of justice and power that pushes heroes to their limits.
Moderator: Ron Block, Branch Manager, Cuyahoga County Public Library System (OH)

New Episode of Shelf Care, Booklist's Podcast, Featuring Book Display Expert Lila Denning

The most recent episode of Shelf Care The Podcast hosted by my Booklist editor, Susan Maguire is now live. See the details below. 

But real quick, before I lose you to the episode (which is great) a quick reminder that Shelf Care is THE ONLY podcast out there with the mission of helping you, the library worker, serve your leisure readers.

I need you to sit with that for a moment. 

I know we all listen to many book podcasts, but no other podcast, besides Shelf Care from Booklist, is focused on you the library worker and all the ways we serve our readers-- of all ages. And it is from a trusted not for profit publication. 

Why are you not subscribed? Well, don't worry about excuses, just fix that by subscribing wherever you listen to your podcasts.

Also remember you can always click here to access the backlist of Shelf Care The Podcast. Every episode for free, with one click.

On this episode of Shelf Care: The Podcast, host Susan Maguire chats with librarian Lila Denning about the ins and outs of book displays; Audio Editor Heather Booth talks audiobooks to fall asleep to (really!); and Kelly Ferreira, Senior Editor, Books for Youth, shares a few books they’ve been reading and loving lately.

Chase’s Calendar of Events

“Unshelve with help from Booklist—Body Horror” blog post

RA for All: Horror

“Unshelving When Inclusive Displays Make People Uncomfortable” blog post

Bruja’s Nest, by Brenda LaTorre

The Mars Room, by Rachel Kushner

Passively Recommending Books (Lila’s blog)

The Count of Monte Cristo, by Alexandre Dumas

Game Changers, by Rachel Reid

Heated Rivalry, by Rachel Reid

Tough Guy, by Rachel Reid

The Legend of Korra: Turf Wars, by Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino, illustrated by Irene Koh and Killian Ng

The Legend of Korra: Ruins of the Empire, by Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino, illustrated by Michelle Wong and Killian Ng

Scream with Me: Confronting Social Injustice through Horror (webinar)

When Evil Lingers, by Melissa Blair

Off the Reservation, by Stephen Graham Jones

Yesteryear, by Caro Claire Burke, read by Rebecca Lowman

Click here to access any episode of Shelf Care The Podcast.